Concussions in Youth Athletes - Massachusetts

The Massachusetts law can be found in chapter 111 section 222 of the Massachusetts Code. Chapter 111 deals with public health. (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 111, § 222).

Massachusetts law requires that a concussion training program be developed by the Division of Violence and Injury Prevention for Schools subject to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association to participate in and makes annual participation mandatory for any parent, coach, or volunteers, among others, for any extracurricular athletic activity. The law encourages the use of information from the CDC for the development of the program and requires the program to develop forms regarding concussions requiring the signature of the both the student and the student’s parent/guardian before participation in an athletic activity. If a student who is participating in extracurricular activity become unconscious during play or has suffered a concussion as diagnosed by a medical professional, that athlete may not return to the activity until cleared in writing by a health care professional. A school district is required to maintain records under this law. Although the law does not waive liability or immunity of a school district, its officers or employees, no liability is created and any person volunteering to assist with an extracurricular athletic activity is immune from damages unless willfully or wantonly negligent in act or omission.

The official versions of these sections are currently available online at:

The Massachusetts Department of Health maintains a web page relative to Sports Related Concussions and Head Injuries applicable to interscholastic sports and students, which provides electronic access to Massachusetts Department of Public Health Regulations regarding Head Injuries and Concussions in Extracurricular Activities (see Mass. Public Health Regulation 105 CMR 201.00, et seq.), standardized forms for reporting, and return to play and links to other valuable information related to head injuries and concussions.
The web page can be viewed online at: